Vogel, Jaroslav

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Vogel, Jaroslav

Vogel, Jaroslav, Czech conductor and composer; b. Pilsen, Jan. 11,1894; d. Prague, Feb. 2,1970. He studied violin with Sevcik and composition with Novak in Prague; after taking courses in Munich (1910-12) and at the Paris Schola Cantorum with d’Indy (1912-13), he completed his training with Novak at the Prague Cons, (graduated, 1919). He was a conductor at the Pilsen Opera (1914-15) and in Ostrava (1919-23); after conducting in Prague (1923-27), he was chief conductor of the Ostrava Opera (1927-43); then conducted at the Prague National Theater (1949-58), and was chief conductor of the Brno State Phil. (1959-62). In 1964 he was made an Artist of Merit by the Czech government. As a conductor, he championed the music of Smetana, Jan-ácek, and Novak. He publ. (in German) the useful study Leosjanaöek: Sein Leben und Werk (Prague, 1958; abr. Eng. tr., 1962; Czech original, 1963). He composed the operas Maréja (Olomouc, 1923), Meister Georg or Mistr Jira (Prague, 1926), Jovana (Ostrava, 1939), and Hiawatha (Ostrava, 1974), orch. pieces, and chamber music.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire